Don't miss it!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Family Proclamation in Pictures (100th post!)
This was inspired by an invitation to participate in the annual family proclamation celebration hosted at a blog I follow. I've really enjoyed reading articles from this year and years past written by different people about specific parts of THE FAMILY, a Proclamation to the World. You can access those articles by clicking here. If you'd like to use my images, send me an email, my address is at the bottom of this blog.
Friday, September 28, 2012
How to buy a used car, and not get suckered.
I recently bought a car.
I won't say new, although it is new to us, because it's definitely used. It was actually for my husband to drive to and from work, but because I'm more picky and he's more of a push-over, I usually do the car shopping. It is an exhausting process (no pun intended), and not one that I like to do very often, but with an ever expanding family, and increasingly complex schedules, we keep having to do it. Honestly, I don't know how we survived with only one car this long.
Anyway, this is a list of things I've learned in the midst of this process and over the years and I thought I'd share my tidbits of wisdom with anyone who cares to listen.
#1. Plan on looking for a long time. Don't imagine that you'll find the right car right away. Patience. (Hopefully this is a possibility for you, I imagine there are circumstances where you can't wait, and I wish you the best of luck.)
#2. Make friends with a certified mechanic, preferably in another state, who has nothing to gain by his answers to your questions, but is truly concerned for your welfare. (I am lucky enough to have a best friend who's brother-in-law is a certified mechanic in Utah, I trust him). Bug him lots with every question that may come up, and get his honest opinion of every make, model, and year of every car that you may be considering. After all is said and done, bake him cookies.
#3. To save yourself some phone calls to said mechanic friend, invest in consumer reports and read them religiously --knowing exactly which cars to stay away from. Also look at Kelly Blue Book (KBB) prices to know how much each car that you find should be worth, taking the condition and mileage into account. A good website I found, www.carcomplaints.com is also pretty helpful, although remember that there's going to be relatively more complaints for more popular cars, but take a look at the seriousness of those complaints --fog lights burning out = not a problem, transmission falling out = big problem. Also be aware of how much certain repairs might cost you. Some are worth more than the car itself.
#4. To save yourself even more time, don't even bother with any German made cars, Dodge the Dodges and Chevys, and don't bother with salvage or "branded" titles, especially if you ever want to re-sell the car.
#5. When looking at a car, check: Mileage (some cars can get more than others just fine, and different kinds of miles are better than others --just be aware of what you're getting and how that affects the worth by KBB standards), tires (-especially look for weird wear patterns like if just the inside or outside of the tread is worn you may have alignment issues), tailpipe for soot( means it's burning oil or something), rust around the wheel wells and on the body, under the car for oil leaks. If you can, look at the engine for signs of leaking, rusting, or corrosion, and in the trunk for dead bodies. j/k
#6. When test-driving, make sure all the dash lights go on when you first half-turn the key (and make sure they eventually turn off), and of course listen for weird noises on start-up and as you're going. Test the lights, blinkers, A/C, heater, and sound system as well as power stuff like windows and locks and stuff. Even manual windows, if they don't open or close it may be a sign that the frame of the car is bent or something (this goes for doors as well). Make sure the speedometer works, because if it doesn't probably the odometer is wrong as well. While driving, try out all gears, listen to and be aware of the feel of the brakes. If possible, have someone follow you to see if any smoke is coming out of the exhaust while on a straightaway let go of the steering wheel for just a moment, and see if the car pulls to one side or the other. Pull into an empty parking lot and do some figure eights to test the steering and listen for sounds. Go over a few speedbumps to feel how the shocks are holding up. Be aware of the smells of the car --exhaust, brakes, smoke, dead bodies, etc. And if possible, go ahead and take it to a mechanic to have them look it over, or at least one of those free emissions testing stations (but again, make sure it's someone who has nothing to gain).
#7. If you're buying from a dealer, cash-in-hand can often save you up to $500, they really perk up when you use this phrase, and are more willing to cut you a deal. (Don't actually have the cash in your hand, or even on your person, they'd probably send their thugs after you once you left. It's just a way of saying you're willing to pay the whole amount on the spot with cash. If you really like the car, you could maybe take it for a test drive to your bank). I personally don't buy a car unless I have the funds, but I know that's not always possible, and I've been pretty lucky in those regards. I'm also pretty cheap, and don't mind old cars, but I do want reliable ones and get the best I can with the limited funds I have.
#8. If you're a woman, they'll probably patronize you and think you don't know anything about cars. "This is a great car... see how shiny the rims are?" (yeah, I actually had a guy try that one on me.) Try to channel that inner lumberjack, throw around words like 4 cylinder or V6 even though you don't know exactly what they mean or even look like, and tell a few white lies like, "Yeah, my dad is a mechanic," to give yourself credibility. Always be skeptical, and don't let scripture verses on their business cards fool you.
#9. Anticipate title and document fees (which can be anywhere from 50 to 200 hundred dollars depending on the dealer and howbig of crooks they are, er... I mean, how they do things), don't be afraid to haggle. If' you're not a haggler, at least talk them into including the taxes and fees in the total asking price of the car. To avoid those all together, and the exorbitant prices that dealers can charge (they do have to make a living you know) try to buy straight from the owner. You'll have to beat the dealers to them, because that's often where they get their cars from. Keeping up on the ads, being diligent, knowing what's out there and staying ahead of things in those regards will help.
#10. Remember that nothing is guaranteed with an old or used car, and things may still go wrong. Go with your gut feeling, work hard at it, and you may just end up getting a deal.
Now I am not by any means an expert on cars. This probably isn't the most complete list out there, but I did my homework, gleaning as much as I could from friends and family (my dad actually is a mechanic, he's just not certified, or even paid as one, but he can fix most things). I searched high and low, and each time it took me more than a week or two to find what I was looking for. But to my credit, over the last 8 years, I have gone through this process and bought three used cars; two of which (because I just got the third) I was able to sell for more than what I bought them for, even after driving them for several years --and I think the people I sold them to still got a good deal too.
Anyway, hope this helps. Let me know if there's anything else you can think of.
I won't say new, although it is new to us, because it's definitely used. It was actually for my husband to drive to and from work, but because I'm more picky and he's more of a push-over, I usually do the car shopping. It is an exhausting process (no pun intended), and not one that I like to do very often, but with an ever expanding family, and increasingly complex schedules, we keep having to do it. Honestly, I don't know how we survived with only one car this long.
Anyway, this is a list of things I've learned in the midst of this process and over the years and I thought I'd share my tidbits of wisdom with anyone who cares to listen.
#1. Plan on looking for a long time. Don't imagine that you'll find the right car right away. Patience. (Hopefully this is a possibility for you, I imagine there are circumstances where you can't wait, and I wish you the best of luck.)
#2. Make friends with a certified mechanic, preferably in another state, who has nothing to gain by his answers to your questions, but is truly concerned for your welfare. (I am lucky enough to have a best friend who's brother-in-law is a certified mechanic in Utah, I trust him). Bug him lots with every question that may come up, and get his honest opinion of every make, model, and year of every car that you may be considering. After all is said and done, bake him cookies.
#3. To save yourself some phone calls to said mechanic friend, invest in consumer reports and read them religiously --knowing exactly which cars to stay away from. Also look at Kelly Blue Book (KBB) prices to know how much each car that you find should be worth, taking the condition and mileage into account. A good website I found, www.carcomplaints.com is also pretty helpful, although remember that there's going to be relatively more complaints for more popular cars, but take a look at the seriousness of those complaints --fog lights burning out = not a problem, transmission falling out = big problem. Also be aware of how much certain repairs might cost you. Some are worth more than the car itself.
#4. To save yourself even more time, don't even bother with any German made cars, Dodge the Dodges and Chevys, and don't bother with salvage or "branded" titles, especially if you ever want to re-sell the car.
#5. When looking at a car, check: Mileage (some cars can get more than others just fine, and different kinds of miles are better than others --just be aware of what you're getting and how that affects the worth by KBB standards), tires (-especially look for weird wear patterns like if just the inside or outside of the tread is worn you may have alignment issues), tailpipe for soot( means it's burning oil or something), rust around the wheel wells and on the body, under the car for oil leaks. If you can, look at the engine for signs of leaking, rusting, or corrosion, and in the trunk for dead bodies. j/k
#6. When test-driving, make sure all the dash lights go on when you first half-turn the key (and make sure they eventually turn off), and of course listen for weird noises on start-up and as you're going. Test the lights, blinkers, A/C, heater, and sound system as well as power stuff like windows and locks and stuff. Even manual windows, if they don't open or close it may be a sign that the frame of the car is bent or something (this goes for doors as well). Make sure the speedometer works, because if it doesn't probably the odometer is wrong as well. While driving, try out all gears, listen to and be aware of the feel of the brakes. If possible, have someone follow you to see if any smoke is coming out of the exhaust while on a straightaway let go of the steering wheel for just a moment, and see if the car pulls to one side or the other. Pull into an empty parking lot and do some figure eights to test the steering and listen for sounds. Go over a few speedbumps to feel how the shocks are holding up. Be aware of the smells of the car --exhaust, brakes, smoke, dead bodies, etc. And if possible, go ahead and take it to a mechanic to have them look it over, or at least one of those free emissions testing stations (but again, make sure it's someone who has nothing to gain).
#7. If you're buying from a dealer, cash-in-hand can often save you up to $500, they really perk up when you use this phrase, and are more willing to cut you a deal. (Don't actually have the cash in your hand, or even on your person, they'd probably send their thugs after you once you left. It's just a way of saying you're willing to pay the whole amount on the spot with cash. If you really like the car, you could maybe take it for a test drive to your bank). I personally don't buy a car unless I have the funds, but I know that's not always possible, and I've been pretty lucky in those regards. I'm also pretty cheap, and don't mind old cars, but I do want reliable ones and get the best I can with the limited funds I have.
#8. If you're a woman, they'll probably patronize you and think you don't know anything about cars. "This is a great car... see how shiny the rims are?" (yeah, I actually had a guy try that one on me.) Try to channel that inner lumberjack, throw around words like 4 cylinder or V6 even though you don't know exactly what they mean or even look like, and tell a few white lies like, "Yeah, my dad is a mechanic," to give yourself credibility. Always be skeptical, and don't let scripture verses on their business cards fool you.
#9. Anticipate title and document fees (which can be anywhere from 50 to 200 hundred dollars depending on the dealer and how
#10. Remember that nothing is guaranteed with an old or used car, and things may still go wrong. Go with your gut feeling, work hard at it, and you may just end up getting a deal.
Now I am not by any means an expert on cars. This probably isn't the most complete list out there, but I did my homework, gleaning as much as I could from friends and family (my dad actually is a mechanic, he's just not certified, or even paid as one, but he can fix most things). I searched high and low, and each time it took me more than a week or two to find what I was looking for. But to my credit, over the last 8 years, I have gone through this process and bought three used cars; two of which (because I just got the third) I was able to sell for more than what I bought them for, even after driving them for several years --and I think the people I sold them to still got a good deal too.
Anyway, hope this helps. Let me know if there's anything else you can think of.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
1st day of the rest of his life...
My 5 year old has entered a new phase in his life --about a month ago, he started kindergarten.
(I know, I'm a little behind, but life is busy. What can I say?)
I'm not sure what to feel (besides feeling older). I'm a little bit sad and a little bit happy, a little bit worried and little bit excited.
I mean, it could mean the beginning the difficult process of growing up, of suddenly having expectations placed upon you --which you may or may not live up to--, being judged and tested and given scores with actual numbers and letters that may or may not reflect how "smart" you are or the particular talents you have, of having less say in the course of your day to day life, and dealing with outside forces and influences and people that may or may not be kind and loving or have your best interest in mind...
However it could also be the beginning of great growth and exploration, of gaining confidence and will power, having structure to your day, making goals and seeing measurable progress, meeting new people who are just like you or who are on your side helping you to be the best you can be, realizing just how big the world is and seeing your potential as part of it, and having an opportunity to affect the lives of those around you in a positive way...
I guess it will probably be a little of both.
I hope that even though I can't control what happens to my kids when they're out of the home, I can prepare them and instill a in them a positive attitude about school, and about life in general, and help them see the possibilities life has to offer ...even on those days when I don't want to get out of bed in the morning either.
(I know, I'm a little behind, but life is busy. What can I say?)
 |
| Isn't he so cute? The one day he doesn't go to school with bed head. |
I'm not sure what to feel (besides feeling older). I'm a little bit sad and a little bit happy, a little bit worried and little bit excited.
I mean, it could mean the beginning the difficult process of growing up, of suddenly having expectations placed upon you --which you may or may not live up to--, being judged and tested and given scores with actual numbers and letters that may or may not reflect how "smart" you are or the particular talents you have, of having less say in the course of your day to day life, and dealing with outside forces and influences and people that may or may not be kind and loving or have your best interest in mind...
However it could also be the beginning of great growth and exploration, of gaining confidence and will power, having structure to your day, making goals and seeing measurable progress, meeting new people who are just like you or who are on your side helping you to be the best you can be, realizing just how big the world is and seeing your potential as part of it, and having an opportunity to affect the lives of those around you in a positive way...
I guess it will probably be a little of both.
I hope that even though I can't control what happens to my kids when they're out of the home, I can prepare them and instill a in them a positive attitude about school, and about life in general, and help them see the possibilities life has to offer ...even on those days when I don't want to get out of bed in the morning either.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
10 Reasons I'm not on Facebook.
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| Face-book, get it?* |
...In no particular order.
#1. I've never been one conform. Yes, I'm just a natural rebel. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean I'm going to. In fact it probably means I'm not going to (--case in point).
#2. I don't want to see how many friends I don't have. I don't think my self-esteem could handle it. Okay not really, you see, I'm the close-friend or no friend kind, and close friends keep in touch in other, more personal, ways. yeah... not to mention I don't like people who obviously do link their self-esteem to the number of friends they have on facebook and try to get as many as they possibly can --like that girl I may have had a class with way back in high school but never even talked to, who somehow got her hands on the email list for the class reunion coming up and tried inviting everyone to be her FB friend... it's meaningless. I also hate making those difficult decisions of who is and isn't technically a "friend." I mean, if you have a few friends in your school/ward/work/neighborhood/etc. don't you have to "friend" everyone so nobody thinks you hate them? Where does it stop? Ugh. I'll pass.
#3. I find it way too voyeuristic. I feel super guilty when I look at someone's profile, leaf through their picture albums, and check out their friends to see if we still have any in common, all because I'm curious where they ended up, but then I leave no trace that I was even there and never leave a comment. What a scuzzy thing to do! And how many scuzzbuckets could do the same thing to me? (I know, I know, I just need to figure out how to use the privacy settings... I've heard that already. It's just not worth the effort.) I also have learned things about old friends that I wish I didn't know. Rather than un-friending them, I just decided to un-Facebook myself.
#4. I find it way too narcissistic. It's all just a parade. "Hey look at me! Look at how funny and witty and clever I can be! Look at how hot I can look with just the right picture that may or may not be photoshopped! I know that everyone wants to know exactly what I'm thinking/eating/reading/doing/etc... every minute of the day..." I don't have any such illusions about my blog of course. :)
I really do try to keep it real. Sometimes real is boring (--case in point).
#5. I don't get it! Not only is the Facebook interface super un-intuitive, but what's with the poking? I don't like getting poked in real life, why would I care to get virtual-poked? Is it a positive or a negative thing anyway?
#6. I don't trust any of those third party apps or whatever, you know like the quizzes and things that make you have to sign away your life and all rights to the privacy of anyone in your contacts before you can see what other people answered and such. The whole "so-and-so answered a question about you, see what they have to say..." is totally playing on some sort of human weakness, and I won't fall for it!
#7. It doesn't feel very sincere if people only remember my birthday because Facebook had to remind them. Or vice versa-- I'd hate people to think that that's the only reason I remembered, even if it is.
#8. I don't have time for it. Seriously, once I get started, I can't stop. It's like getting sucked into a whirlpool. I have way more important things to do with my time, and I don't need one more time waster. I'm sorry Facebook, it's me not you. I just don't have the self-control to handle you.
#9. I inherently dislike it upon principle because of the risk it poses to so many young people who are stupid and make it way too easy for stalkers by "friending" everyone they've ever met and then posting exactly where they're going to be at any given time... duh. And then there's the risk it poses to marriages when old flames are rekindled, and people of the opposite sex are interacting so much outside of their marriages... I can imagine how the old "grass is greener" paradox could affect a person who finds themselves in a struggling marriage. Not good.
#10. Personally I think it's all going to blow up someday. The owners are going to sell it or it's going to be hacked and everyone's personal information is going to be out there for anyone to misuse. Either that or (if it's not already) it's going to be secretly used by the government to spy on people (I'm not paranoid...), or used by the advertising industry in a Minority Report-ish fashion, and basically be used to control the general thinking and attitudes of the whole world, making them sway to the tune of the highest bidder. All "Users" will someday become "Useds" and I will laugh sardonically --while simultaneously feeling sorry for everyone of course.
Now, I'm not judging anyone who has a FB account, I'm simply sharing my reasons for not joining. I don't mind that my husband has an account (except that he refuses to "friend my friends," does that make me a hypocrite?). Actually, I had an account once. I joined once and then un-joined (see #3), and then joined again under
I admit, I may get back on Facebook someday. I'd like to get in touch with people from Poland, and perhaps even a few old friends and roommates whom I, regretfully, lost touch with, but until then I'm going to go on blissfully unaware of the random thoughts, deeds, and game scores of my friends and family, as well as miss out on the entertaining memes, clever gifs, inspirational articles, cool pictures, and important news, but at least I won't have to sort through all the dull updates, weird invitations, uninspirational gossip, and political leanings of every person I can't say is not a friend. :)
So there you have it.
Oh, and here's an entertaining song about Facebook I thought you might like.
I will however say this; that social media and modern technology is going to be how the world sees the second coming all at the same time, so maybe I should get on the bandwagon after all.
(*This image was used without permission from google images. I am a pirate. Arrrrr!)
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sigh...
So, I admit I have been putting off blogging because I felt like I needed to do a long post about all that's been going on since I last blogged, and all the wonderful things we did, both significant and insignificant, before we moved back to Idaho, like...
going to the rodeo,
and narrowly missing a downpour,
going on a picnic and wading in the shallow String lake in Teton National Park with friends and family,
(even the baby enjoyed the water, it's relatively warm)
picking wild huckleberries,
(They're gonna make the best homemade ice cream!)
going to Bear World with Grandma and Grandpa
where the kids got to feed and pet animals at the petting zoo
(accruing quite the collection of feathers from various fowl)
as well as ride kiddie rides,
helping cut a big branch out of a large tree at grandma and grandpa's house
riding the ski lifts to the top of the mountain,
going down an alpine slide,
finding a snake on my doorstep,
driving to a beautiful waterfall to try and take family pictures
then picnicking in a familiar camping spot,
and countless days spent playing at the parks --the ones with streams that the kids just had to get into,
(the crystal clear kind which were much too tempting even though they were ice cold!)
and ones with climbing walls (my oldest became quite the expert), others with ponds, or big hills,
or crazy toys...
They have it all there.
*Sigh*
I'm afraid life is a bit dull now, and I'm actually thinking it wouldn't be too bad moving back there again for one last Summer... Am I insane or what?
I call it the "Lucky Charms Effect." (Or Marshmallow Mateys if you're more frugal like me, but that doesn't have the same ring to it).
I generally don't like Lucky Charms, but if I have to eat them (as in there's nothing better in the house and I need something, anything, sweet) I like to eat all the brown parts first, so that one-- there's no soggy brown parts, cause that's the worst, and two-- so I get a whole bowl of nothing but marshmallows at the end! Awesome! (Yes, I know, I'm 30 years old... So?)
I also like to wash it down with some fresh cold milk at the end, not that warm sugary stuff that's left --it's just one of those things that delights me... Like the little tiny soap bubbles that sometimes puff out of my dish soap bottle and make me smile...
Anyway, even though I don't generally like Lucky Charms, after finishing off a whole bowl of just marshmallows and washing it down with fresh cold milk, suddenly I want another bowl of Lucky Charms. I think that by ending on such a good note, I forget about having to choke down all the brown stuff and only remember how good the marshmallows and milk were. My memory can sometimes be selective in that way --I guess it could be worse, I could focus on all the bad stuff, and sometimes I do, but either way, I still end up eating like three bowls of Lucky Charms!
Living in Jackson, and absolutely packing the last few weeks with all sorts of fun and exciting things makes me forget how stinkin' cold it is when I first move there, and how small the apartment is, and how expensive groceries are, and what a pain moving is in general --because moving from Jackson actually isn't that bad. After all, it's only a one bedroom apartment, and more than half our stuff is already boxed and in storage (-not to mention that the last two times I hardly had to do any cleaning myself) so I start thinking "that wasn't too bad, I can do that again" --and in the Spring I curse myself all the way.
This "Lucky Charms Effect" comes into play in a few areas of my life --like every time I decide to invite people over for dinner, or agree to do a babysitting swap (FYI -it's better to let the other couple go on their date first I think, so you have somethingto keep you from kil ...er, to look forward to).
(I am joking Sandi, we're still on for next week right?)
Even bottling fruit has a bit of a forgetfulness that comes with time. I love bottled fruit, I love how it looks on my shelves, and the feeling of satisfaction I get when I look at all those gleaming bottles, and I completely forget how tedious and time consuming it is and how horribly messy and sticky it makes my whole kitchen... *thinking of the several boxes of ripe peaches and tomatoes in the garage, ugh.*
I suppose the "Lucky Charms Effect" has its purpose. I probably do more stuff than I would if I really thought about it first. In fact, it's probably the reason I keep getting pregnant and having babies (they're just so darn cute!). But mostly it just gets me into situations where I want to pull my hair and cry out, "What was I thinking?!" or, "Why do I do this to myself?!"
Perhaps it is all worth it. I guess nothing good comes without a price. Looking at this list makes me think that it really was worth it.
(I'm still going to petition for bigger accommodations next Summer though.)
Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one.
What is your memory selective about and what do you find yourself doing over and over again despite your best judgement and the hardships involved?
swimming at our favorite pool about once every week,
picking up trash along the highway for a earth-friendly family home evening activity,
taking apart a broken etch-a-sketch to see what was inside,
celebrating the baby's first birthday complete with outdoor "hot tubs"
and water balloons
as well as the traditional pancake breakfast and Jell-o birthday "cake,"
going to the county fair
(Grandma taught us the trick of following the feeding tour truck to see all the bears in action!)
(okay, so that was mostly my husband, but I gave great moral support from below),
roasting hotdogs over a campfire
Mmmm...
along with strawberry-and-nutella s'mores,
Double Mmmm!
...not to mention all the wood chips you can eat!
They have it all there.
*Sigh*
I'm afraid life is a bit dull now, and I'm actually thinking it wouldn't be too bad moving back there again for one last Summer... Am I insane or what?
I call it the "Lucky Charms Effect." (Or Marshmallow Mateys if you're more frugal like me, but that doesn't have the same ring to it).
I generally don't like Lucky Charms, but if I have to eat them (as in there's nothing better in the house and I need something, anything, sweet) I like to eat all the brown parts first, so that one-- there's no soggy brown parts, cause that's the worst, and two-- so I get a whole bowl of nothing but marshmallows at the end! Awesome! (Yes, I know, I'm 30 years old... So?)
I also like to wash it down with some fresh cold milk at the end, not that warm sugary stuff that's left --it's just one of those things that delights me... Like the little tiny soap bubbles that sometimes puff out of my dish soap bottle and make me smile...
Anyway, even though I don't generally like Lucky Charms, after finishing off a whole bowl of just marshmallows and washing it down with fresh cold milk, suddenly I want another bowl of Lucky Charms. I think that by ending on such a good note, I forget about having to choke down all the brown stuff and only remember how good the marshmallows and milk were. My memory can sometimes be selective in that way --I guess it could be worse, I could focus on all the bad stuff, and sometimes I do, but either way, I still end up eating like three bowls of Lucky Charms!
Living in Jackson, and absolutely packing the last few weeks with all sorts of fun and exciting things makes me forget how stinkin' cold it is when I first move there, and how small the apartment is, and how expensive groceries are, and what a pain moving is in general --because moving from Jackson actually isn't that bad. After all, it's only a one bedroom apartment, and more than half our stuff is already boxed and in storage (-not to mention that the last two times I hardly had to do any cleaning myself) so I start thinking "that wasn't too bad, I can do that again" --and in the Spring I curse myself all the way.
This "Lucky Charms Effect" comes into play in a few areas of my life --like every time I decide to invite people over for dinner, or agree to do a babysitting swap (FYI -it's better to let the other couple go on their date first I think, so you have something
(I am joking Sandi, we're still on for next week right?)
Even bottling fruit has a bit of a forgetfulness that comes with time. I love bottled fruit, I love how it looks on my shelves, and the feeling of satisfaction I get when I look at all those gleaming bottles, and I completely forget how tedious and time consuming it is and how horribly messy and sticky it makes my whole kitchen... *thinking of the several boxes of ripe peaches and tomatoes in the garage, ugh.*
I suppose the "Lucky Charms Effect" has its purpose. I probably do more stuff than I would if I really thought about it first. In fact, it's probably the reason I keep getting pregnant and having babies (they're just so darn cute!). But mostly it just gets me into situations where I want to pull my hair and cry out, "What was I thinking?!" or, "Why do I do this to myself?!"
Perhaps it is all worth it. I guess nothing good comes without a price. Looking at this list makes me think that it really was worth it.
(I'm still going to petition for bigger accommodations next Summer though.)
Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one.
What is your memory selective about and what do you find yourself doing over and over again despite your best judgement and the hardships involved?
Friday, September 7, 2012
Home sweet home
We have a home!
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| Hey, it could be worse... |
 |
| Okay, two months later, I'm finally getting around to adding a real picture of our new house. Or at least the front door. Lovely isn't it? I love the roses. |
I'm still getting over a terrible case of bronchitis (which the dr. was convinced was pneumonia, but the chest x-ray was inconclusive) which I'm sure was caused by all the wildfire smoke in the air combined with my weakened immune system from the stress of the move. I think I get sick just about every move. Anyway, Now that we're settled, I'm finally back to blogging again. Yay!
By the way, this was number 14 for us (15 if you count moving in together after we were married). Yikes! I'm surprised it went as smoothly --okay actually I'm not that superstitious. And it was only smooth compared to the move exactly one year ago, (find that story here). One funny story though -- although this probably just shows what an airhead I am -- and I say funny, because I can laugh at it now, but at the time I balled, because I just couldn't handle it...
So after weeks of searching, I found a suitable rental for us to live in. In fact, this particular property management place had several that seemed to fit our needs, and I could apply for them all with only one application, and one fee! There was one in particular that I felt really good about and so had one of my good friends who lives in the area go check it out for me (long-distance house finding is such a pain, I'm glad I have friends here at least). She liked it, I liked it, and once our application was approved, I decided to choose that one. One of the other possibilities happened to be just down the road, but I decided against it because it was a little more expensive and there were no trees in the backyard.
Well, when we got here and got the keys to go look at the property right before signing the lease, we drove up to our new rental and found that there were people living in our house!
Okay, so that was the first thing that crossed my mind anyway. The second, and more rational conclusion I finally came to prompted me to look at the keys they had given me. Sure enough, it was for the other house on the same street, just one number of the address was different.
I don't know where the mistake happened along the way, whether it was my fault or theirs, but what a shock! I mean, I had been prepping the boys by telling them about the few features I knew about the house --like for example: the purple carpets, and the nearby bike path, and I had even thought ahead for once and changed our address with the post office and all our banks and such to that address. *smacks head*
Well, obviously we couldn't kick those other people out, and the property management place refused to work with us when it came to the higher rent, saying that if we didn't want the house, they'd sell it to someone else tomorrow. (Yeah, they knew the position we were in --car full of tired kids, all our stuff in a truck, and a storage unit that needed to be emptied that day.) They wouldn't take any responsibility for the mistake whatsoever or even be sympathetic. Grrr.
The happy ending is that we find ourselves in a really nice house actually. In fact, our stuff is almost too shabby for this place. It's newer and bigger than the other, with automatic sprinklers, and I figure we won't mind not having any shade in the backyard during the winter --I might not even have to rake leaves this Fall.
Either way, we have a house...with a roof, and walls, and doors, and that's what matters. The kids love having a room separate from the baby, and I love having a room period (yeah, the futon in the living room wasn't really doing it for me). Not to mention our own bathroom and walk-in closet --which are two luxuries we've never had and I hardly know what to do with all this space!
It's finally starting to feel like home, and although I miss the beautiful mountains and cool fresh air and all our friends in Wyoming, I think we'll be happy here. :)
At least until we move again next year. :P
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Feeding Time
I haven't really put any home videos on this blog, mostly it's just a stylistic choice, but this clip makes me smile, so I thought I'd share.
The baby just learned this new trick of spitting while I'm trying to feed him --which is less than amusing-- and so to teach him a lesson, I set down the food and walked away. A minute later I hear giggling, and it turns out that my 3 year old has decided to try his hand at feeding the baby. They both thought they were so hilarious.
The baby just learned this new trick of spitting while I'm trying to feed him --which is less than amusing-- and so to teach him a lesson, I set down the food and walked away. A minute later I hear giggling, and it turns out that my 3 year old has decided to try his hand at feeding the baby. They both thought they were so hilarious.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Divergent Paths
A funny thing happened at our family reunion. And I'm just going to say right now, that it wasn't anybody's fault, and I'm not blaming or accusing anyone of negligence.
The plan was, to go for a hike to a local waterfall. We had discussed two different waterfalls, one of which was familiar to me, but the other was decided upon since it was a shorter hike and we had many small children.
As we drove, following the other cars of our family, the clouds began to gather. A few drops began hitting the windshield, but we hoped it would blow over before we got to our destination. As we got closer though, and pulled into the parking lot, it was pouring. Water was streaming down the windshield as I made a mental inventory of what we had in the car --umbrellas? nope, ponchos? nope. We had hats and jackets though to keep the rain off, and even some dry clothes for the baby when we got back. At first we thought maybe we could wait to see if it let up a little, but time was short and it didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. As family members ventured out to decide whether to return or forge ahead, I seriously considered turning back. Some families with babies and small children understandably did, but we had come all this way, the kids had been excited about it --okay, so maybe they weren't so sure once they saw the rain, I'm afraid it took a little prodding-- and now that I think of it, perhaps I had something to prove --to them, to myself, I don't know.
As we gathered our stuff, and put jackets on the kids, I saw the other members of our family proceeding out of the parking lot toward the trailhead and out of sight. I figured they had assumed we would turn back too, having a baby and two small kids all, but I was made of tougher stuff than that. I tried to hurry, but in the usual fashion of trying to go anywhere, it took us a few more minutes to get all ready and on our way.
We followed in the direction we had seen the others go, but the only trailhead we saw was the trailhead for the longer hike to the falls I was familiar with. I supposed they had changed their minds, or perhaps there was a turnoff to the other falls... obviously our communication had been spotty at best, so off we went hoping for the best.
After a little bit of hiking fast and not catching up, I began to doubt myself. Neither of us had seen any other trail, but surely they weren't that far ahead of us, or going very fast. We passed other hikers coming down the mountain, most of which were soaked through and looked incredulously at us for starting such a hike in the pouring rain with three little kids. We finally asked some ladies if they had seen a large group of people hiking up the mountain ahead of us. They replied, "yeah --with all the kids?" and we nodded, knowing that that had to be them, and we asked, "About how far ahead of us are they? " The ladies looked at each other and agreed, "about fifteen minutes?" We thanked them and went on our way, rolling our eyes at the exaggeration. They couldn't possibly be that far ahead of us.
We kept hiking at a pretty grueling pace. We were determined to catch up. It was a lot to ask of a 3 year old and a 5 year old, but they did pretty well. They had fun dodging the mud puddles (or not dodging them), and seeing the wet butterflies clinging to the flowers, waiting for the sun to come out and dry them. I'm afraid we didn't take much time to enjoy the scenery, because we were on a mission to find our family and enjoy the hike together with them.
Well, after a while I started doubting again. We asked some more passersby about the big group of people with lots of kids ahead, and they said they were about 10 minutes ahead.
So much for exaggerations. Perhaps I had just underestimated how long it took us to get ready, as usual, and they really were that far --but at least we were catching up!
There were a few other young college-age groups that passed us from behind, going up the mountain, so I figured our pace couldn't be all that grueling --after all the kids have short legs, and I'm not in peak condition myself, so I thought well, maybe if they knew we were back here, they would slow down and we could catch up to them. So I asked one of these groups of young people to "tell the big group of people ahead --the one with all the kids-- that there's a little family coming behind them" in case they wanted to wait up. The college kids agreed and hiked out of sight. Surely, that would help us find them.
About this time, the rain stopped, but the kids started getting whiny, especially the baby. My husband had to take him out of the baby backpack and carry him, which meant we couldn't hold both kids hands and there was a lot more slipping and falling going on. We were covered in mud. I could also feel a blister forming on the inside of my heel, and we were getting pretty tired. We asked the next group of people coming down the trail about how much farther to the falls, and they said we were about half-way.
yeah.
Well, there was no going back now. We had come this far, we were going to go all the way. Besides, now that we had notified our family that we were coming, they would worry if we didn't show up.
The clouds lifted and the surrounding vistas showing us just how high we had hiked gave us an extra boost. Although the trail started heading slightly downhill, we slowed a little making our way down the slippery trail, being careful not to touch the stinging nettle that surrounded us.
We crossed a few rock slides, asked some more people about the big group ahead of us --five minutes this time-- (perhaps they hadn't gotten our message?) and finally we could see the falls in the distance. That was enough to keep us going.
After hiking a bit longer, finding an exotic-looking bug, and expecting to see our family around every turn, we finally, gratefully, heard the sound of the falls. We climbed down some steep stony places on the trail and came to the rocky outcropping that serves as the perfect lookout in front of the falls.
No family.
We heard voices, so we peeked over the cliff's edge to where the trail heads down to the river below at the base of the lower falls. Sure enough, there were lots of people down there
--A tae kwon do team taking pictures below the falls,
and then there was a group with lots of kids,
but to our astonishment and utter disappointment, it wasn't our family!
We had been following the wrong large group of people with kids this whole time, and our family was nowhere to be found!
As this sunk in, we realized that we must've been on the wrong trail from the very beginning -although we hadn't seen any other trails anywhere.
We were so confused, and felt rather sheepish about the whole thing (not to mention the mysterious message we had sent ahead to complete strangers). After explaining and re-explaining things to the kids, we all finally accepted the fact that we were on our own, and decided to make the most of it.
The baby grew sleepy and still refused to go back in the backpack, so in a stroke of ingenuity (if I do say so myself), I wrapped my jacket around me and the baby, having my husband tie the sleeves behind me, fashioning a kind of sling.
I was able to carry the baby like that down the rest of the mountain comfortably and he soon fell asleep on my chest. It was the sweetest thing ever.
The kids, who were troopers but nonetheless worn out, took turns being carried by their dad down the rest of the mountain. The hike back actually seemed to go faster than the hike to the falls -probably because I enjoyed it a bit more, and I wasn't trying so hard to catch up, expecting our destination around every corner, only to be disappointed each time.
It was still tiring though, and by the time we reached the parking lot we were ready to be done.
As we reached the car, I wondered what the others had thought when they saw that our car was still there, for surely they had figured we had turned back and gone home. In the parking lot, there was a forest ranger and we asked her about the trails and waterfalls. Sure enough, right at the very beginning of the trailhead, we had missed the gravelly turnoff to the other falls.
In the end, we had gone a mile further than the others, but according to the ranger, we had been rewarded with a more scenic hike and falls.
All in all, for our little family unit, it turned out to be the most unifying part of the reunion. We pushed hard through difficult circumstances, achieving an amazing goal and surprising ourselves by what we were capable of, and in the process made memories of our glorious adventure to the "wrong falls."
There could be a number of analogies made in conjunction with this story. Perhaps about how we often spend all our time trying to catch up to others, when all along we are each on our own paths with our own unique destinations. Or how we often forget to enjoy the journey when we're too impatient or preoccupied with the end goal. Or maybe even something about how the best things in life require the greatest sacrifices, etc. etc. etc....
I don't know.
They're all good analogies, and ones that I could easily apply to my own life.
Our journey is definitely our own, and I find that I am only unhappy when I compare my life to others and begin to think that I want what they have. I mean, sure it would be nice to settle down and have a house, but then I might miss out on all these other great experiences and wonderful people that I wouldn't meet otherwise. I hope that my kids are stronger and closer to each other because of it. The amount of toys they have or the size of their room won't matter, but they'll have great memories of all the different places we've lived and fun things we've done on this glorious adventure that is our life.
It's our story: moving from place to place, scrimping and saving to get by, working hard through a Master's and PhD, not waiting to have a family, hoping and praying that the end reward will be worth the sacrifice, and (for the most part) enjoying every minute of it.
The plan was, to go for a hike to a local waterfall. We had discussed two different waterfalls, one of which was familiar to me, but the other was decided upon since it was a shorter hike and we had many small children.
 |
| (photo credit: "Gathering Clouds" by cousin Liam.) |
As we gathered our stuff, and put jackets on the kids, I saw the other members of our family proceeding out of the parking lot toward the trailhead and out of sight. I figured they had assumed we would turn back too, having a baby and two small kids all, but I was made of tougher stuff than that. I tried to hurry, but in the usual fashion of trying to go anywhere, it took us a few more minutes to get all ready and on our way. 
After a little bit of hiking fast and not catching up, I began to doubt myself. Neither of us had seen any other trail, but surely they weren't that far ahead of us, or going very fast. We passed other hikers coming down the mountain, most of which were soaked through and looked incredulously at us for starting such a hike in the pouring rain with three little kids. We finally asked some ladies if they had seen a large group of people hiking up the mountain ahead of us. They replied, "yeah --with all the kids?" and we nodded, knowing that that had to be them, and we asked, "About how far ahead of us are they? " The ladies looked at each other and agreed, "about fifteen minutes?" We thanked them and went on our way, rolling our eyes at the exaggeration. They couldn't possibly be that far ahead of us.
 |
| Notice the drop of rain dangling from his earlobe, we were soaked. |
 |
| The baby was hardly amused. |
Well, after a while I started doubting again. We asked some more passersby about the big group of people with lots of kids ahead, and they said they were about 10 minutes ahead.
So much for exaggerations. Perhaps I had just underestimated how long it took us to get ready, as usual, and they really were that far --but at least we were catching up!
There were a few other young college-age groups that passed us from behind, going up the mountain, so I figured our pace couldn't be all that grueling --after all the kids have short legs, and I'm not in peak condition myself, so I thought well, maybe if they knew we were back here, they would slow down and we could catch up to them. So I asked one of these groups of young people to "tell the big group of people ahead --the one with all the kids-- that there's a little family coming behind them" in case they wanted to wait up. The college kids agreed and hiked out of sight. Surely, that would help us find them.
About this time, the rain stopped, but the kids started getting whiny, especially the baby. My husband had to take him out of the baby backpack and carry him, which meant we couldn't hold both kids hands and there was a lot more slipping and falling going on. We were covered in mud. I could also feel a blister forming on the inside of my heel, and we were getting pretty tired. We asked the next group of people coming down the trail about how much farther to the falls, and they said we were about half-way.
yeah.
Well, there was no going back now. We had come this far, we were going to go all the way. Besides, now that we had notified our family that we were coming, they would worry if we didn't show up.
The clouds lifted and the surrounding vistas showing us just how high we had hiked gave us an extra boost. Although the trail started heading slightly downhill, we slowed a little making our way down the slippery trail, being careful not to touch the stinging nettle that surrounded us.
We crossed a few rock slides, asked some more people about the big group ahead of us --five minutes this time-- (perhaps they hadn't gotten our message?) and finally we could see the falls in the distance. That was enough to keep us going.
After hiking a bit longer, finding an exotic-looking bug, and expecting to see our family around every turn, we finally, gratefully, heard the sound of the falls. We climbed down some steep stony places on the trail and came to the rocky outcropping that serves as the perfect lookout in front of the falls.
No family.
We heard voices, so we peeked over the cliff's edge to where the trail heads down to the river below at the base of the lower falls. Sure enough, there were lots of people down there
--A tae kwon do team taking pictures below the falls,
 |
| literally, below the falls. |
The college students who had passed us,
and then there was a group with lots of kids,
 |
| (sorry for the terrible picture quality, some of these were taken from videos.) |
We had been following the wrong large group of people with kids this whole time, and our family was nowhere to be found!
As this sunk in, we realized that we must've been on the wrong trail from the very beginning -although we hadn't seen any other trails anywhere.
We were so confused, and felt rather sheepish about the whole thing (not to mention the mysterious message we had sent ahead to complete strangers). After explaining and re-explaining things to the kids, we all finally accepted the fact that we were on our own, and decided to make the most of it.
The falls were exquisite. They were also a lot bigger than I had remembered.
 |
| My poor hat went all soggy and limp in the rain. |
 |
| The other pictures don't really show how big the falls are, but to put it into perspective, the orange, white, and blue dots back there are the college students from the previous picture. |
The kids were duly impressed (well, maybe not the baby), and we considered lingering and exploring some more, but we were dirty, wet, and hungry and had to get back to cook dinner for everyone that evening.
The hike down was dryer, and we took off our jackets as the sun came out --making the forest steamy and aromatic. We decided that although we were tired and wanted to get back, we could take our time and enjoy the way down since we weren't trying to catch up to anyone. The butterflies began dancing about and we got out some snacks and water I had thought to bring at the last moment. It was a beautiful day after all, and we were glad we came, despite the difficulty and the disappointment of not being with our extended family.
 |
| (photo credit: "Sundance Fireweed", by my five year old) |
The kids, who were troopers but nonetheless worn out, took turns being carried by their dad down the rest of the mountain. The hike back actually seemed to go faster than the hike to the falls -probably because I enjoyed it a bit more, and I wasn't trying so hard to catch up, expecting our destination around every corner, only to be disappointed each time.
It was still tiring though, and by the time we reached the parking lot we were ready to be done.
As we reached the car, I wondered what the others had thought when they saw that our car was still there, for surely they had figured we had turned back and gone home. In the parking lot, there was a forest ranger and we asked her about the trails and waterfalls. Sure enough, right at the very beginning of the trailhead, we had missed the gravelly turnoff to the other falls.
 |
| In case you were wondering, this is where the rest of the family ended up. Not all are pictured. |
All in all, for our little family unit, it turned out to be the most unifying part of the reunion. We pushed hard through difficult circumstances, achieving an amazing goal and surprising ourselves by what we were capable of, and in the process made memories of our glorious adventure to the "wrong falls."
There could be a number of analogies made in conjunction with this story. Perhaps about how we often spend all our time trying to catch up to others, when all along we are each on our own paths with our own unique destinations. Or how we often forget to enjoy the journey when we're too impatient or preoccupied with the end goal. Or maybe even something about how the best things in life require the greatest sacrifices, etc. etc. etc....
I don't know.
They're all good analogies, and ones that I could easily apply to my own life.
Our journey is definitely our own, and I find that I am only unhappy when I compare my life to others and begin to think that I want what they have. I mean, sure it would be nice to settle down and have a house, but then I might miss out on all these other great experiences and wonderful people that I wouldn't meet otherwise. I hope that my kids are stronger and closer to each other because of it. The amount of toys they have or the size of their room won't matter, but they'll have great memories of all the different places we've lived and fun things we've done on this glorious adventure that is our life.
It's our story: moving from place to place, scrimping and saving to get by, working hard through a Master's and PhD, not waiting to have a family, hoping and praying that the end reward will be worth the sacrifice, and (for the most part) enjoying every minute of it.
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